Richard Anthony "Dick" (aka "Richie") Allen is the best player eligible for the Hall of Fame.
...Mr. Allen, who played for just 10 full seasons between 1963 and 1977, led his league in home runs twice, RBIs once, on-base percentage twice, slugging three times, and won the 1972 American League MVP award.
...as Steven Goldman of Baseball Prospectus points out: "Allen's numbers were compiled at the most difficult period for hitters in baseball history. If he had played in the '90s, they would be dazzling." In the 1960s and '70s, though, Mr. Allen's stats were dazzling enough.
First baseman Orlando Cepeda, a contemporary of Mr. Allen's who was ushered into the hall in 1999, hit 379 home runs to 351 for Mr. Allen, who played most of his games at first base. But Mr. Cepeda was at bat nearly 1,600 more times than Mr. Allen. Another Hall of Fame first baseman who played during Mr. Allen's era, Harmon Killebrew, had 573 home runs in 22 seasons, but Mr. Allen out hit him .292 to .256, won three slugging titles to Mr. Killebrew's one, and had more doubles and triples than Mr. Killebrew while batting about 1,800 fewer times.
...Baseball historian Craig Wright, in an article for the Society for American Baseball Research, found much evidence to support this. Mr. Allen's Phillies manager, Gene Mauch, told Mr. Wright that "Dick's teammates always liked him" and "If I was managing today...I'd take him in a minute." Chuck Tanner, Mr. Allen's manager on the 1972 White Sox, said: "Dick Allen piloted the team as much as I did. We were co-managers."
ope:
